Letter from Miles

Dear Mommy and Daddy,

While you're out painting the town, O-Town, that is, I've been entertaining G & G, which is a big job for a little guy.

Grandma and I had an uneventful trip to St. Peter, listening to Tony Bennett duets on a CD. I especially liked it when he sang with James Taylor. Those boys have both stood the test of time, by golly. I didn't sleep at all in the car, but I had a dreamy look on my face when Tony crooned with Paul McCartney. For a toddler, I have eclectic taste in music.

At G & G's house, Grandma chased me for a while, then we took turns making mouth noises and imitating each other. She's pretty good at copying me, but I don't try out the hard stuff on her. I walked around the house to check out things at eye-level, now that walking is my preferred mode of travel. It's fun to spin toilet paper rolls and take books off bookshelves. Around 5:15 I happened to go past the high chair and Grandma got the idea that I was looking for food. You can see in the picture below that I gave a spoon my best shot. I need to check with Hannah about how long it takes to train a spoon to work efficiently. Personally, I like grabbing a handful of food so I can enjoy the colorful coating it leaves on my hands and face.
Grandpappy got home about the time I finished eating, so he got himself situated (sounds like a euphemism for something weird, doesn't it?) while Grandma gave me a bath. I wasn't very happy in the tub tonight. Grandma was afraid the water was too hot (no), too cold (no), but it was just right. We kept bath time short and sweet, and she found out why I was upset as we were finishing up. I had a sharty wedge irritating my buttskie, and once that was removed, I cheered up.

I dried off in my soft yellow bath towel, and Grandpappy fetched some lotion to help my chapped hands and thighs feel better. Being Scandinavian has a few drawbacks, mostly related to the way sub-zero weather affects my tender skin. Gees, you'd think Norwegians and Swedes would have genetic protection against chapping!

What else did I do tonight? Hmm... after my bath I played some more, I ran around, and I was really cute. I know that sounds vain, Mommy and Daddy...you didn't raise me to be conceited. I'm just quoting Grandma and Grandpappy.


By 6:45 I was running out of steam, so Grandpa read to me.
While we were reading, I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Grandma take m-i-l-k out of the refrigerator. I could barely wait until she took the chill off and brought my bottle to me. I snuggled up to Grandma while I drank my milk. I felt like I was going to doze off, and then that "second wind" you hear so much about kicked in. Woo hoo!

Rosie and I played and I acted silly for a while, but it wasn't long before the floor started tipping and I couldn't stay on my feet. If you've ever experienced this, you know that it's time for bed.

I'm sleeping now, and Grandma is downstairs, watching TV. Grandpa is downstairs, too, but he's snoring. I guess I wore him out. I can only imagine how he'll do when Lead Cousin Hannah, the Twin Ziggies, and I all come to visit at once! Have a good time tonight, Mom and Dad. Grandma and I are glad you have a police officer escorting you around town. She says you're lucky to have a friend who knows the law, just in case painting the town gets out of control.

See you tomorrow.

Love, Miles J.